


Comfy Pearl finds a job

by Chromite



Series: Stories of Comfy Pearl [8]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, First Job, Getting Fired, Humans, New Job, working
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-04
Updated: 2019-04-21
Packaged: 2020-01-04 22:07:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18352652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chromite/pseuds/Chromite
Summary: When Anon gets fired, he and Comfy Pearl both apply for jobs. Comfy Pearl gets hired first.





	1. A loss of job, and the first day of work.

**Author's Note:**

> In a place I frequent, there exists a Red Pearl OC. The artist behind her frequently draws her in comfy settings, baking, gardening, wearing warm clothes, drinking and eating, and some more intimate moments with a nondescript male character. She has become known as Comfy Pearl. 
> 
> This story takes place before they have a child.

>"You were what?" Comfy Pearl looked at her beloved husband with disbelief.  
>"I was fired. It means I lost my job, honey." Anon hung his head low, unable to meet his wife's eyes.  
>"But why were you fired? Didn't you do great work?"  
>"I did honey, but that didn't matter to them. All they saw was an opportunity to save money, not taking years of loyalty and hard work into consideration."  
>"That's horrible! What sort of monsters would do something like that?" Comfy Pearl asked her anon in disbelief.  
>"That's just how some companies do things sometimes dear. Nothing I can do to change their minds."  
>Comfy Pearl pulled her husband into a hug. "Is there really nothing we can do to change their minds?"  
>"Nothing at all, their greed can't be reasoned with. Guess I'll start looking for another job."  
>"Honey, maybe.......maybe I should try to get a job too?"  
>Anon looked up as his wife. "But dear, you, you'd have to, to do what someone else tells you to do."  
>Comfy Pearl sighs. "I know, I don't like the thought of it either. But things on Earth, they aren't like they are on Homeworld, right? I'd be getting something in exchange for following orders. I think......I think I can manage it.  
>Anon sighed before looking into his wife's eyes. "Okay, if you're sure, I won't stop you from looking for work. But only until I get a job, okay?" Anon brushed his hand against his wife's cheek. "If you get a job before me, promise me you'll quit if you find yourself too uncomfortable, okay? I don't want you pushing yourself doing something you don't enjoy."  
>Comfy Pearl smiled at her husband. "I promise, I won't push myself too hard."  
>The pair shared a kiss before taking turns filling out job applications on their computer.  
\-------  
>One week later, Comfy Pearl rushed into their living room excitedly, a smile on her face.  
>"Honey! Honey I have great news! I checked my email, I got a job!"  
>"Really? That's great sweety! What did you get hired to do?"  
>"I got a job stocking shelves in a local supermarket!"  
>Anon's face fell a bit. "Are you sure you can handle that dear? Some of those items can get really heavy."  
>Comfy Pearl walked over to where her husband was sitting. "Did you really forget?"  
>Anon gulped. "Forget what?"  
>"Forget I could do this!" she said, punctuating her sentence by lifting the chair Anon was sitting in off the ground with one arm, Anon still seated in it.  
>Anon smiled as his wife sat the chair back down on the ground. "Oh, of course! Sorry dear, it's easy to forget how strong you are sometimes. You're always so gentle in bed."  
>Comfy Pearl blushes a bit. "I wouldn't want to hurt you. I love you Anon."  
>"I love you too. When do you start work?"  
>"Tomorrow, five in the morning."  
>"Do you want me to drive you to work?"  
>Comfy Pearl smiled. "No dear, you need all the sleep you can get at night. I'll be fine without you giving me a ride. Besides, you need to keep the car for yourself in case you need to go to an interview."  
>"If you're sure. Don't hesitate to let me know if you change your mind."  
>"I will, I promise." Comfy Pearl pulled Anon into kiss.  
\-------  
>Comfy Pearl slipped out of Anon's embrace as she looked over at the clock. Four A.M. was clearly displayed in bright red numbers. She smiled as she climbed off the bed, careful not to disturb her beloved husband. She looked down at herself and sighed lightly. She loved the feel of the lingerie, but it was hardly proper work attire. Her hips swayed slightly as she walked out of their bedroom, down the hall, and into the guest bathroom. She turned the light on and gently removed her lingerie, her breasts jiggling as they were freed. As the lingerie hit the ground, Comfy Pearl's body glowed brightly as she phased on a proper outfit for the day. She made sure it was formal enough to look professional, but comfortable enough to allow for movement.  
>"Good enough. I'll observe what others wear to work in and use that as a guideline for tomorrow."  
>Comfy Pearl wrote a quick message to her darling husband. "I love you. Hope you have a great day! XOXO!". She placed the note on the nightstand next to their bed, then made her way out of their home, locking the door behind her. She stored her keys in her gemstone and smiled.  
>With a burst of strength, she jumped into the sky. She looked down upon the town she lived in, spying the supermarket she was going to. She angled her body to send her descent towards her destination.  
\-------  
>Two men were chatting in the parking lot in front of the supermarket, waiting for their manager to arrive to unlock the store. Other employees were sitting in their cars, listening to the radio or reading a book.  
>"Did you hear? They hired some new help." a tall, pale, thin man said, a slight edge to his voice "Like we aren't enough anymore. It's ridiculous!"  
>"Marvin, you know extra hands are never a bad thing. I hear they're planning on remodeling the store soon. We'll certainly be glad for the help if that rumor is true." The second man, a short, stocky figure, stroked his beard as he talked.  
>"I still don't like it Joe. What if they're planning on replacing some of us?"  
>"You worry too much Marvin. They're new hires for crying out loud. What could any of them do that could possibly.....what are you staring at?"  
>Marvin pointed towards the sky, "Joe, look!"  
>The pair stared in disbelief as a small red dot in the sky began to grow larger, began to become more visible. They both realized, it was humanoid, it was a person!  
>The pair of men continued to stare in disbelief as the figure landed in the parking lot on her feet, a wide smile on her face.  
>"What the hell?" Marvin muttered under his breath as he stared at the woman.  
>Comfy Pearl noticed the men staring in disbelief. "Good morning! Do you two work at the supermarket?"  
>"Yeah, we do......who are you?"  
>"Oh, I'm Comfy Pearl! I start my first day here today!" she said excitedly. "I hope we get along!"  
>"Yeah......hope we get along too. We're waiting for the boss, he should be here shortly." Joe rubbed the back of his head with one hand nervously.  
>"Cool! I can't wait to get started!" She wandered off towards one of the other cars, people starting to get out to get a better look at what had just landed in the parking lot.  
>"Nothing to worry about, huh Joe?" Marvin sneered at the portly man.  
>"Oh shut up Marvin! At least she seems friendly, I'm sure she doesn't have any ill intentions."  
>Marvin shook his head. "Whatever man. I hope the other new hires aren't like her or we're screwed."  
\-------  
>"Okay, listen up new hires! We're going to start you off with simple shelf stocking for now. Later in the week, we will introduce you to how to properly unload a truck and sort the boxes! Listen to your trainer and pay attention to what they show you!" The manager relayed instructions to the six new employees. Comfy Pearl fidgeted nervously. "Get to it!" he said, before turning around and leaving.  
>The new employees had been assigned trainers at random, each taking a turn picking a slip of paper from a bag. Comfy Pearl looked at the slip of paper she had pulled. The name Joe was displayed in bold print.  
>She followed behind the other new hires towards the trainers, watching as the other five found their instructors and wandered off. She stared a moment at the last one and smiled.  
>"Hey, it's you, from the parking lot! Hi again!" she smiled broadly as she made her way over to the short man.  
>"Oh, it's you. Comfy Pearl, was it?"  
>"You remembered! I'm so glad."  
>"Hard to forget when you made such an entrance." Joe muttered to himself.  
>"Huh? What do you mean?" she looked at the man, confusion on her face.  
>His eyes widened as he realized she had heard him. "Nothing! Nothing at all. Let's just, get started. These are the boxes we need to stock today."  
>Comfy Pearl looked at the stack of boxes on the palate. "That many for the whole store?" she asked, a hint of confusion in her voice.  
>Joe chuckled a bit. "That's just our portion. There's a lot of other people stocking shelves too you know! C'mon, grab a few and let's get to work."  
>Joe grabs three boxes off the stack and smiled. His smile faded a bit as he saw Comfy Pearl reach down towards the palate.  
>"Don't try to pick the whole thing up, you'll......no way."  
>Joe stared in wonder as Comfy Pearl lifted the whole palate. "What? This seems faster to me."  
>"You......you're really strong huh?" Joe muttered in disbelief. a small crowd began to form around her to stare in awe.  
>"Not really, I'm pretty weak compared to other gems. C'mon, I still need you to show me where these go!"  
>"S-sure. Follow me." The pair left the back room, eyes staring at them as they left before they resumed work uneasily.  
\-------  
>"You're what?" the boss stared in disbelief.  
>"We're done for the day. Every box that was suppose to be stocked has been stocked." a worker replied.  
>"But, how?!?! It's only been two hours, that shipment should have taken all day!"  
>"That red girl you hired, she's really strong. Carried things out a palate at a time, cutting the return trips down significantly. Where'd you find her anyways?"  
>"I don't believe this." the boss started sweating. If the new hire was this effective, how long before she was noticed by the company? How long before she got promoted? What if she was this effective at other tasks too? He began to worry about the security of his job.  
\-------  
>Comfy Pearl arrived home after work. She was greeted with a kiss from Anon.  
>"Hey honey, welcome home. How was work?"  
>"It was.......okay." Comfy Pearl's voice was full of uncertainty.  
>"Just okay? What happened?"  
>"I......I think people are nervous working with me. They were staring at me most of the day."  
>"Aww, honey. It's okay, they're just not used to you yet. Give it time, they'll come around."  
>"I hope you're right dear. I don't want to make people uncomfortable." she smiled sheepishly.  
>"It'll be fine. Just do your best, and remember, if you're too uncomfortable, you can always stop."  
>"Thanks dear. I love you." Comfy Pearl pulled anon into a hug.  
>"I love you too. Now, tell me all about your first day!"  
>The pair sat down on the love seat as Comfy Pearl told Anon about her day at work.  
>"Honey, I think I know why they were staring."  
>"Oh? Why were they staring?"  
>"Humans aren't strong enough to carry palates out with their bare hands."  
>"Oh. Oh stars, I must have made them all feel bad! What should I do?"  
>"Try to take it slower tomorrow, maybe? Or if that's not possible, just tell them you didn't mean to make them feel bad."  
>"Okay. I'll take care of it tomorrow."


	2. The second day on the job, a change of position

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Comfy Pearl heads into work for her second day at the supermarket.

>Comfy Pearl smiled to herself as she climbed out of bed for her second day of work. "This time I'll do things right." she thought to herself as she walked down the hall towards the spare bathroom to change out of her bed clothes.   
>She carefully removed the tee shirt she had wore last night, placing it in the hamper. Her gem glowed before clothing began to materialize over her form. She drew inspiration from what her co-workers had worn to work.   
>She looked into the mirror to admire her efforts. She had chosen to create a collarless red shirt with long sleeves, a small section cut to show her gem. A long white skirt covered her legs and knees, ending just below her kneecaps. Her shoes were plain red sneakers.  
>Comfy Pearl made her way quietly out of her home after leaving her husband another love note: "Off to my second day of work! I love you so much. Can't wait to tell you all about it later. XOXO!!!"  
>This time, Comfy Pearl decided not to do her jump and land stunt she had pulled yesterday. The supermarket wasn't too far away from where she lived with Anon, she was certain she could make it there in time on foot. She took off running with a burst of speed. If anyone had been awake and looking out the window on the path she took to work, all they would have saw was a red blur moving by.  
\-------  
>She had arrived at the supermarket right as the supervisor had arrived to unlock the store for the day. As she and her co-workers headed inside, she felt a hand rest upon her shoulder. She turned around to see who it was, a smile on her face. Her smile fell a bit as she realized it was her boss.  
>The man spoke in a serious tone. "It's Pearl, right?"  
>"Y-yes sir, it is. Is something wrong?"  
>"I need to speak with you about yesterday, privately."  
>"Oh, a-alright." Comfy Pearl was filled with dread as her boss lead her through the building towards his office.   
>Thoughts began running through her head as they walked. "What does he want with me? Am I in trouble? Am I going to get fired?".   
>Comfy Pearl watched as her boss unlocked his office door, then opened it slowly and stepped inside. She nervously entered behind him.  
>"Please have a seat." the man gestured to the chairs positioned in front of his desk. Comfy Pearl sat down, her legs shaking slightly.  
>"Now Pearl, before we go any further, know I'm not going to fire you." A wave of relief washed over Comfy Pearl as she head those words.  
>"However, I need to know something. Why did you get a job at this supermarket? With your strength, you could do a lot of things, things that would be difficult for others to do."  
>"Oh, that's easy! My darling husband lost his job recently. We need money to pay the bills and keep a roof over our heads, so we both applied for jobs in various places. He told me I should apply for jobs like this, since I have no prior work experience."  
>The man raised an eyebrow at this. "That's it? No other reason?"  
>Comfy Pearl shook her head. "No other reason. My darling husband insists I only work until he gets a new job himself." her face fell a bit. "Uh, no offense, you've got a lovely store here, but I have.....bad history with taking orders from others. The faster he gets a job, the better. I will do my best while I work here though!"  
>The man sighed in relief. So she wasn't after his job after all. "Believe it or not Pearl, it's a relief to hear you say that. I was concerned about what you'd do when you heard the news."  
>"What news?" Comfy Pearl asked in a confused tone.  
>"Simply put, we can't have you stocking shelves. If the people who own this supermarket chain heard about what you could do, they'd seek out gems to fill the stocking positions. A lot of people would lose their jobs."  
>A look of horror spread across Comfy Pearl's face. "No! I can't be, I don't want people losing their jobs because of me!"  
>A smile spread on the man's face. "You have a good heart, Pearl. Don't worry, nobody will lose their job, I've already thought of a solution."  
>"What is is?" Comfy Pearl switched from panic to curiosity.   
>"We're going to assign you to be a cashier. You'll be scanning the items people want to buy, then taking the payment and giving them change back, if they need it."  
>Comfy Pearl paused for a moment before she smiled. "So I get to help people? Sounds perfect. When do I start?"  
>"You start today. Kate's waiting to show you what to do on register five. Good luck Pearl."  
>"Thank you so much! I promise I won't let you down!" Comfy Pearl made her way out of the boss's office and towards the registers.  
\-------  
>Comfy Pearl made her way out to the registers. She smiled as she started at register thirty and walked down the line towards five. She spotted a young woman leaned up next to the register, wearing a black tee shirt, dark blue pants, and black boots. Her dark brown hair was short and messy.   
>Comfy Pearl waved and called out to her. "Hi! You must be Kate! I'm Pearl, the person you'll be training."  
>The girl looked up from her phone, an annoyed expression on her face. The expression quickly turned to one of shock.   
>"Wait, you're Pearl? What did you use to get your hair and skin that color?"  
>Comfy Pearl tilted her head in confusion. "What do you mean? I didn't use anything, this is my natural color."  
>"You mean you didn't.......never mind. Here, let me show you how this works."  
>Comfy Pearl moves closer to the register.   
>"Here's what you do, you move the item's barcode over this scanner until you hear a beep. Then you place it in the bag and move to the next item until there's no more left. Then you take the payment, punch in how much they gave you, then give them back the amount displayed as change."   
>Kate took a breath before she continued. "Remember, the black bar on the conveyor belt is used to separate customer's items from each other. If an item won't scan, punch in the barcode manually. Need anything repeated?"   
>"No, that all sounds pretty simple. I think I can handle it."  
>"I'll watch your first one to be sure. Speaking of, there's one now."  
>A man carrying a small basket started pulling items from the basket and placing them onto the conveyor belt. Comfy Pearl smiled "Hello sir, how's your day been?"  
>The man didn't respond, instead he finished placing his items on the conveyor and sat the basket down behind them.  
>Comfy Pearl frowned a bit before she smiled and started scanning items. "Did you find everything you were looking for today?"  
>Again, the man didn't reply. He began tapping his foot as Comfy Pearl continued to ring up items.  
>"Uh.......your total is thirty-five dollars and fifty-one cents." Comfy Pearl's voice had a hint of sadness to it.  
>The man quietly pulled out some bills and some coins, and handed them to Comfy Pearl. She looked at what the man had given her, counting it in her head. It was exact change. She pressed the buttons on the register and watched the receipt print off.   
>"Have a good day!" she smiled as she handed the receipt to the man. He silently took it along with his bags and headed towards the door.  
>Comfy Pearl looked over to Kate. "Did, did I do something wrong? He wouldn't talk at all."  
>"Oh geez, you're one of those types." Kate sighed. "Look, you might not have realized, but you're assigned to an express lane, twenty items or less. The people coming to you are looking to get in and get out as fast as possible, they're not going to want to small talk."  
>"O-oh, I see." Comfy Pearl's face fell a bit.  
>"Don't worry newbie, everyone goes through a training phase on an express lane before moving to a proper register. Some decide they like the faster lines better and stay on them."  
>"How long will I be assigned to the express lane?" Comfy Pearl asked nervously.  
>"Probably a few weeks, a month at most. I'm heading back to my register, flash your light if you run into any errors and someone will be along to help."  
>Comfy Pearl sighed to herself as she watched Kate leave. She didn't like the thought of being unable to talk to the people who came through her line.  
\-------  
>As the work day went on, Comfy Pearl's mood worsened. She had started off smiling, trying to be friendly. But the more people didn't respond, the less she felt like saying. Eventually she stopped greeting people entirely.  
>It wasn't long after she minimized her talking that she started to fall into a state of moving while barely paying attention to anything. Her hands moved the items quickly from the conveyor across the scanner and into the bags, her voice took on a monotonous tone as she droned out the totals to the people who came through, calculating the change in her head faster than the register could compute it.  
>It wasn't until she felt a strong hand on her shoulder and heard her name called out that she snapped out of her autopilot state. "Pearl!"  
>Comfy Pearl jumped a bit, then turned to see who the voice belonged to. She flinched a bit as she saw her boss standing before her.   
>"Y-yes boss?"  
>"Your shift is over Pearl. I've been trying to get your attention for a full minute!"  
>"Oh, s-sorry. Guess I w-was spacing out a bit."  
>The man sighed. "Just, go home Pearl. Try not to space out in the future, okay?"  
>"Sure thing. Have a good afternoon!" Comfy Pearl's smile returned to her face as she rushed towards the exit. She was glad her work day was done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't plan on making a second chapter, but people seemed to want it in the other place I post my work. So, here it is. I don't plan on making a third chapter, but we'll see how that goes.


	3. End of one job, start of another

>Comfy Pearl walked wearily into her home, another shift at the supermarket as a cashier finished. It had been a month since she started working there, a month earning a paycheck while Anon searched for a new job.   
>"Honey, is that you?" she heard her husband's voice call out to her from down the hall.  
>"It is dear, did you have a good day?"  
>"I did. Sit down in the living room, I've got something to share with you! I'll be done back here in a minute."  
>Comfy Pearl sits down on the couch, slouching slightly as she begins to relax. Her body isn't tired, but her mind needs a break from the monotony of the day.   
>She hears footsteps growing louder from down the hall. She turns her head to see her husband grinning broadly.  
>Comfy Pearl sits up upon seeing his smiling face. "I hope that smile means you've had a good day dear. What did you want to tell me?"  
>"Good news honey, I got hired today! I can finally get back to work."  
>Comfy Pearl's simulated heart jumped in joy at the news. She leapt off the couch and ran to give Anon a hug. "Oh sweety, that's wonderful! When do you start? What are you going to be doing?"  
>"I start tomorrow, I got a job at an accounting firm. Bunch of paperwork, but it pays well. You can finally quit that supermarket job, I know you hated working it."  
>"I do, but sweety, I need to talk to you about something."  
>"What is it honey?"  
>"I think I want to try to get a different job instead of......instead of sitting at home all day. I didn't enjoy that job, but I think I owe it to myself to try out some other jobs, to see if there's something I would enjoy doing. Having an extra paycheck between us could come in handy in case something comes up too."  
>"If you're sure it's what you want to do dear, I'll support you."  
>"Thanks sweety. I guess I need to go in tomorrow to let then know I quit?"  
>"You could call them and let them know over the phone if you prefer to."   
>"I think it'd be better to do it in person sweety, but thanks for the suggestion." Comfy Pearl places her hand gently on Anon's face, pulling him into a kiss.  
\-------  
>"Have a good day at work dear!" Comfy Pearl gave Anon a kiss as he stood beside his car, briefcase in his hand.   
>"Thanks honey. Hope you have a good day too. You sure you don't need a ride?"   
>"Don't worry dear, I've been managing without the car so far, I can manage it this morning too."  
>Anon chuckles. "That's fair enough. See you later honey."   
>Anon drove off towards his new job. Comfy Pearl smiled to herself before she began her usual morning sprint to work.  
\-------  
>"You're quitting?" the boss looked at Comfy Pearl in disbelief.  
>"I am, my husband got a new job yesterday. Being honest sir, I haven't enjoyed a single day as a cashier. Now that he's got a paycheck coming in, I can look for something more enjoyable. I'm sure you can understand."  
>The bosses mouth gaped open for a moment before he closed it. "Why didn't you call to quit yesterday?"  
>"I felt that was too impersonal. Pearls pride themselves on the finer details you know."  
>"Well, I'm a bit sad to see you go Pearl, you were quite the popular cashier. Will you at least work today? It's too late to try and get a replacement."  
>Comfy Pearl let out a long sigh. "I see. Okay, one more day won't be so bad."  
>Comfy Pearl proceeded to work her last shift as a cashier, smiling and waving at everyone who came through her line, the thought of being free from her boring job filling her with enthusiasm.  
\-------  
>Comfy Pearl arrived home from the end of her work shift. She smiled and laughed as she entered her home, glad she was finally done with the supermarket job.  
>She sat down on the couch and placed a laptop in her lap, a nearby classified paper lying on the couch next to her. She had crossed off the jobs that would have been similar to the supermarket job she just left.  
>Comfy Pearl hummed to herself as she filled out applications. Construction work, an office job like what her husband had gotten, working in a restaurant, applications for those jobs and more were filled out online in a blinding speed, the clacking of the keys echoing through the silent home.  
>Comfy Pearl picked up the paper to place it on the table when a small piece of paper fluttered out of it. She snatched it out of the air and looked it over. It was an ad for a new sitting agency, one that was looking for new help.  
>"Taking care of young humans? What an odd profession." she walked over towards the trashcan to throw the ad away, but stopped short of the can, looking the ad over once more.  
>"An odd profession and yet......I did say I wanted to try a lot of different things. What harm could it do to apply for the job?"  
>She hummed to herself as she pulled up the sitting service's site and filled out the application. She hit the send button as she heard the doorknob rattle a bit from being turned.  
>"Welcome back sweety, how was your first day at work?" Comfy Pearl smiled as her husband came into their home.   
>"It was great, feels good to be working again. How'd your last day of work go?"  
>"Last day at the supermarket went fine, I was so excited to get out of there the day flew by! I just finished applying for some other jobs."  
>"Sounds lovely honey, hope you can find something you enjoy doing."   
>"I do too sweety. Want to watch some TV together for a bit?"  
>"Sounds perfect." Anon smiled as he sat down next to Comfy Pearl and wrapped his left arm around her. The pair cuddled on the couch as they watched TV together and unwound from two very different workdays.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looks like I did a third one of these after all, and probably a few more to come.

**Author's Note:**

> I like to think human workers would get very nervous when they saw how efficient gems could be at jobs.


End file.
